My mother, age 60, recently had an X-ray and the report said there was "a little osteoarthritis" in her knee. The whole family is alarmed by this.

Does it mean she will be crippled by arthritis?

No. Not many people realise that by age 60, most women have a small amount of osteoarthritis visible on their X-rays. This is really just "wear and tear".

If you talk to your mum's doctor, she will tell you the same thing. So there is no reason at all to think your mother will be crippled.